Wines

98 Points! Intense aromas of wet earth, leaves, sweet berries and cinnamon follow through to a full body, velvety and dense tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Opulent style. Just opening now, but this shows lots of stuffing, even if it does tighten down on the palate. Integrated and fine. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

98 Points! The 2010 Figeac has a deep hue. The nose is quite introverted at first, with dark berry fruit, incense, touches of fig and mulberry. The palate is beautifully balanced with a fine bead of acidity, gorgeous pure fruit, mulberry and dark plum, gently considering the vintage. This 2010 has softened in the last couple of years, gaining depth towards the finish. Very persistent - this is just beginning to show what it is capable of. Tasted at the vertical in Berlin. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

97 Points! Deep garnet colored, the 2010 Figeac bursts from the glass with gregarious scents of baked blueberries, black cherry compote and chocolate box with hints of camphor, pencil lead and iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has beautifully ripe, velvety tannins and bold freshness supporting the generous fruit, finishing long and layered. - Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

96 Points! Based on a normal mix of close to equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, the 2010 is still youthful yet certainly offers pleasure today. Deep ruby/plum-hued with a classic Figeac nose of red and black currants, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and truffle, and it certainly seems more Médoc than Saint-Emilion. Beautifully balanced on the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, and has silky tannins, a terrific mix of both richness and freshness, and an overriding sense of elegance. It's a gorgeous Figeac just coming into its own, with another two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

100 Points! An absolute legend of a wine, the 2022 Château Figeac is based on 35% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc, and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon that saw malolactic in barrel and 18 months in new barrels. This deep purple-hued beauty offers incredible cassis, spring flowers, crushed stone, graphite, and subtle tobacco notes to go with a full-bodied, ultra-pure, fine, seamless style on the palate. It's so rare to find a wine that can deliver this level of richness and intensity with no sensation of weight, as well as an incredible sense of finesse and elegance. It reminds me of a slightly more concentrated version of the 2016. Hide bottles for a decade if you can and enjoy over the following 40 years or so. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! This wowed during Primeurs and it has maintained its promise now it's been bottled. Gloriously alive with a beautifully expressive nose - dark fruit, liquorice and floral scents. The energy on the palate is incredible - this pulses with life given the high acidity and juicy red berry fruit but this also has a touch of creaminess alongside softly fleshy tannins that give the weight and structure. There's power and concentration but almost hidden underneath the cooling freshness and such charming texture. Effortless winemaking on show, taking the best of the vintage in terms of ripeness but delivering a seriously sophisticated expression that is just so moreish. I love it. A perfect wine. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

100 Points! The 2022 Figeac is one of the wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with a deep and complex bouquet of dark berries and cassis mingled with hints of violet, pencil lead, mint and cigar wrapper, it's medium to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, with striking intensity and sweetness of fruit married with unerring precision and energy, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Abundant but exquisitely filigreed tannins lend a sense of classicism and proportion to a wine that might otherwise be flamboyant. As I wrote from barrel, it's the quintessential Figeac, testament to the late Thierry Manoncourt's vision to plant such a large proportion of Cabernet, and on drought-resistant rootstocks. Such is the inherent complexity of Figeac's terroirs that harvest took place sub-block by sub-block between September 1st and 25th. Could the result be a contemporary version of the estate's magical 1949? - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

98 Points! The 2022 Figeac was picked between 1-26 September with the pH of 3.7 and 14% alcohol. This wine combines both Left Bank and Right Bank traits due to its blend (as usual), but this year leans more to the Right Bank despite a slightly lower contribution of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is very well defined, fresh and shows lively black fruit, incense and nuanced Chinese tea aromas. The palate is beautifully balanced with a lightly spiced entry, fine depth and with plenty of concentration counterbalanced by finesse toward the graphite-infused finish. Its saline aftertaste beckons you back for another sip. An appropriate way to start your tenure as a Grand Cru Classé "A". - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

99 Points! Deep nose with graphite, gravel, dark hazelnut chocolate, blackberries, blueberries and truffles. Really taut and tense on the palate with fresh, vibrating tannins and a very long, chalky finish. Compact. 35% merlot, 34% cabernet franc and 31% cabernet sauvignon. Lots of vibrancy and muscled tension here from an extremely hot and dry year. - JamesSuckling.com

98-100 Points Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Flowers, forest leaves, raspberries, tobacco leaves, plums, and espresso create a captivating perfume. The palate is shaped by gorgeous purity of fruit, elegance, tension, and creamy layers of fruit and minerality that linger for close to 60 seconds."

98-100 Points The Wine Palate
"A flamboyant perfume of violets, black raspberries, dark chocolate, cassis and blueberries. The palate shimmers with perfumed fruit, firm fine-grained tannins and amazing tension, finishing with a firework display of mineral and floral sparks."

98 Points Decanter
"Pure happiness in a glass. Gorgeous perfumed aromas, silky tannins, absolute clarity and precision. Creamy, velvety and softly chalky with a cool mint and cola note that lingers. A showstopper."

98 Points Jane Anson
"Cocoa bean, espresso, blood orange, baked plum, blackberry, peony and iris flowers. Intense and concentrated with slate-strewn tannic architecture and tremendous ageing potential."

97-99 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"An ultra-classic bouquet of cassis, violets, graphite and leafy tobacco. Medium to full-bodied with beautiful tannins, flawless balance and an incredibly pure, finesse-driven style."

97-99 Points Wine Advocate
"Exceptional potential with ripe cherries, minty blackberries, sweet spices and pencil lead. Dense, deep and concentrated with sweet tannins, bright acids and a long, penetrating finish."

96-98Points Neal Martin, Vinous
"Remarkably understated and elegant with blackberry, wild strawberry, tobacco and dark chocolate. Fine tannins and a beautifully structured finish make this one of the most refined wines of the vintage."

96-98 Points Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"A powerful, deeply structured wine filled with dark fruit, mocha, incense, tobacco and grilled herbs. A towering Figeac of the highest level with impeccable balance."

96-97 Points James Suckling
"A dense yet open-grained wine with velvety tannins, plum, currant and cedar flavors. Juicy, refined and beautifully balanced."

98 Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley Estate has a Mouton-like vibe in its ripe, sexy red and black currants as well as notes of chocolate, tobacco leaf, truffle, and damp earth. Much more broad, round, and expansive compared to the Red Mountain release, it has supple, velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's not far off the heavenly 2018 and will shine for 30 years as well. Readers will love being able to compare these two great vintages over the coming decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! I really appreciate the dark-berry and burnt-orange aromas that follow through to a full body, very integrated tannins and a ripe, juicy fruit character. Savory, succulent and salty. Hints of chocolate and salted nuts. So juicy and gorgeous. A fabulous red. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points, Wine Spectators #1 Wine of the Year! Warmed cassis and plum notes form the core, while lilting lilac, violet and iris accents stream throughout. Offers a flash of black tea on the finish, along with a beguiling, cashmere-like mouthfeel. Judicious toast lets it all play out beautifully. A pitch-perfect example of the vintage profile. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! Stunning aromas of blackcurrants, dark mushrooms and black cherries with forest-floor notes. Full body that fills your mouth with fine, caressing tannins and dark, flavorful fruit. The tannins are very intense and structural, spreading across the palate in layers and giving intensity and energy. Plenty of energy and verve here. This has gravity, too. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 3% petit verdot and 3% cabernet franc. - JamesSuckling.com

97+ Points! The deeply colored and glass-staining 2022 Château Giscours is packed with cassis, black cherries, violets, and graphite-like aromatics. Medium to full-bodied, it’s concentrated and intense, with beautifully ripe tannins, a pure, graceful mouthfeel, and a long, structured finish. There’s serious depth here, and while it already shows remarkable balance, I suspect it will shut down for a period before emerging as a classic Margaux a decade or so after the vintage. This beauty is going to be long-lived, and you can expect at least 30-40 years of prime drinking. Based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and equal parts Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it’s a serious, age-worthy Giscours. Tasted multiple times with consistent results. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! A seriously impressive and beguiling Giscous in 2022 and one of the most elegant. A remarkable wine with gorgeous clarity and purity and just the most gentle seduction, even more so because it really doesn't feel as if it's trying too hard yet still delivering depth and complexity. Fresh and lifted, fragrant and so juicy but with textured tannins that give both the weight, structure and density to the quite bright, tangy, vibrant fruit. Nicely composed, feels quite powerful yet restrained and finessed offering lots of immediate drinking appeal but with a serious backbone that suggests long ageing too. Elegant, fineseed, subtle confidence with such cool minerality that gives freshness all the way through. It's not the most dense, or fleshy, but so refined. A compelling wine. Possible upscore in bottle. 3% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 3.70pH. A yield of 27hl/ha, the lowest ever. No Sirene de Giscours this year. 100% grand vin. Ageing 17 months, 50% new oak. 10-15% press wine. Tasted twice. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

96 Points! The 2022 Giscours is compelling, just as it was en primeur. Deep, layered and inviting, the 2022 possesses notable textural richness and intensity. Yields were down about 25%, and drought starting in May produced tiny berries with thick skins. The 2022 is a very rich Giscours, one that will need a number of years to shed some baby fat. But even with all of that obvious richness, the 2022 clocks in at 13.5% alcohol. This is such a classy wine. Tasted three times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! The 2022 Giscours has realized all the potential it showed en primeur, wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of sweet berries, mint, rose petals and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's textural and enveloping, built around lively acids and sweet powdery tannins, concluding with a long, resonant finish. As I pondered two years ago, why is the 2022 so good? There are many reasons, but one is the high proportion of old vines—almost 60% of the blend derives from vines that are over 50 years old—in a vintage that favored vines with deep, well-established root systems. Another is the increasing precision of harvesting at this address: Giscours's old vines are frequently co-planted with younger replacements that have filled any gaps in the ranks over the years; so, blocks are now picked in two or three passages instead of all at once, with the younger vines picked first. The team also adapted hedging practices to limit hydric stress, which helps to explain the sweetness of the tannins. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

97–98 Points – James Suckling
“Such a balanced and harmonious red with control, texture and length. It has aromas of red berries, cedar, pebbles and baking spices. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Velvety and attractive, with a long, flavorful, precise finish. A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.”

95–97+ Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Giscours is a wine of elegance and finesse. Dark fruit, lavender, spice, cedar and graphite all build beautifully in the glass. A gorgeous Margaux with exceptional harmony and persistence.”

94–97 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“As to the Grand Vin, red, blue, and black fruits, intermixed with spring flowers, iris, graphite, and sappy tobacco, all define the 2025 Château Giscours, giving it a beautiful Cabernet-driven style. Based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc that's resting in 50% new oak, it's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a focused, pure, precise mouthfeel, beautiful yet building tannins, and nicely integrated acidity. It checks in at 13.2% alcohol with a pH of 3.68.”

94–96 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
“Classic Margaux aromatics with blackberry, violet and cedar notes. Pure, focused and wonderfully persistent with excellent delineation and finesse.”

94–96 Points – Wine Advocate (Yohan Castaing)
“The 2025 Giscours is another brilliant wine from this resurgent property, unwinding in the glass with aromas of wild berries, violets, rose petals and pencil shavings. Medium- to full-bodied, deep and perfumed, it's suave and seamless, with ultra-refined tannins, vibrant acids and a long, perfumed finish.”

98 Points! Pouring a dark magenta, the 2021 Grattamacco is fruity and floral with aromas of lavender oils, plum, mocha, incense, and sweet earth. Full-bodied, it has refreshing acidity, defined, ripe tannins, and a good finish. It has a lot of potential and should improve and stand the test of time. It’s fantastically detailed. Drink 2026-2050. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

97 Points! This is at a different level, with blackcurrants, blueberries and Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary and sage. Also tobacco and coffee bean. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and a persistent finish. Sophisticated and thought-provoking. A new quality level with this wine. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Blueberry, black currant and pomegranate flavors are accented by oak spice, graphite and rosemary notes in this fresh, long red. Taut and vibrant, with terrific balance and a fine-grained band of tannins lining the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. - Wine Spectator

97–99 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Crème de cassis and black raspberry fruits intermixed with spring flowers, graphite, tobacco leaf, and spicy wood all emerge from the 2025 Château Gruaud Larose. Full-bodied on the palate, it has a layered, graceful mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins, and a great finish, all grounded by a remarkable sense of balance and elegance. This is a heavenly Saint-Julien.”

97–99 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Gruaud Larose is a towering Saint-Julien. Deep, layered and explosive, the wine possesses exceptional depth and textural richness while maintaining striking freshness and precision.”

96 Points – Georgina Hindle, Decanter
“Such scented notes on the nose with jasmine, lavender, violets, peonies and deep blackcurrants alongside tobacco and clove. Supple and wonderfully textured with precision, concentration and intensity.”

95–97 Points – The Wine Independent (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)
“Warm cassis, black cherries and red currant jelly are layered with sandalwood, rose oil, pencil shavings and forest floor. Elegant yet intense with super fine-grained tannins and a lively line.”

95–97 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
“Tightly wound black fruit, sous-bois and tobacco with fine delineation and firmly classical in style. A more tertiary Gruaud Larose that lingers beautifully in the mouth.”

95 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“You get the tannic grip of the vintage in spades, but as you sit with the wine, a creaminess appears through the mid palate that is highly appealing. A ton of potential here, great quality.”

96–98 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
“Flowers, black currants, cedar, cigar wrapper, spice, smoke, and black cherries fill the perfume. The palate is deep, concentrated, vibrant, and layered with ripe tannins, freshness, and a long finish loaded with sweet cassis and graphite. This is one of the top vintages of Gruaud Larose in recent memory.”

94–96 Points – Wine Advocate (William Kelley)
“Unwinding in the glass with notes of dark berries, cassis, plums mingled with hints of violet and pencil shavings, the 2025 Gruaud Larose is medium- to full-bodied, supple and suave, with a deep core of fruit, lovely energy and ripe, powdery tannins.”

98+ Points! The 2015 Côte Rôtie La Mouline has closed down substantially since I tasted it from barrel, yet it’s nevertheless a magical wine in the making. Sporting a deep, saturated purple color as well as a monster bouquet of crème de cassis, graphite, crushed rocks, and hints of flowers, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building tannins, and a focused, tight, backward vibe that’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age. It’s going to be incredibly long-lived. - Jeb Dunnuck

98-100 Points! The 2018 Cote Rotie La Mouline is immensely seductive, offering up enticing notes of floral potpourri and red berries on the nose. Those strawberries and raspberries persist onto the full-bodied palate and through the long, lush finish, buoyed by supple, creamy-textured tannins. This is the most complete, compelling vintage of La Mouline I've tasted. - Wine Advocate

99 Points! Just about pure perfection as well as a desert Island wine, the 2018 Côte Rôtie La Mouline comes from a tiny parcel in the Côte Blonde lieu-dit and spent four years in new barrels. Incredible notes of black raspberries, spring flowers, bacon fat, smoked game, violets, and pepper all emerge on the nose. These carry to a full-bodied, round, supple, sexy Côte Rôtie offering ultra-fine tannins, an insane level of purity, no hard edges, and a monster of a finish. As with the other 2018s here, it leads with its fruit and has a supple, ethereal style on the palate... - Jeb Dunnuck

98 Points! The Grand Vin 2018 Château Haut-Bailly checks in as 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. It spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. This is a beautiful, classic expression of this terroir, and its dense purple hue is followed by gorgeous black cherry and cassis fruits interwoven with ample tobacco leaf, cedary herbs, earth, truffle, and floral nuances. While 2018 was a hot, dry year (at the end of the season anyway), this shows a mix of cooler-climate, vibrant aromatics paired with a rich, concentrated, fresh style on the palate. It has plenty of tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. A beautiful, elegant 2018, it's going to need 5-7 years of bottle age and keep for 3-4 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

99 Points!  Complex and expressive nose, offering red and dark fruit, spices and pepper with wood and mushroom undertones. Fresh mussel shell and a hint of ink, too. Full-bodied with a fine texture and great balance between the acidity and the controlled, tannic structure. Very long finish. Goes on and on. Tiny production, 21 hectoliters per hectare. Try after 2025. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com Learn More

99 Points, Dunnuck's #19 Wine of the Year! Another wine I underrated on release, the 2020 Château Haut-Bailly is just about pure perfection, and whereas the 2018 is closer in style to the 2009, this plays things a little closer to its vest and is reminiscent of the 2010. Full-bodied, concentrated, and powerful, it nevertheless cuts a focused, precise path across the palate and brings incredible purity in its darker fruits, smoked tobacco, cedar pencil, and Asian spice-driven aromas and flavors. The tannin quality here is off the charts, and this beauty has everything you could want from wine. It needs a solid 4-6 years (if not longer) to hit the early stages of its prime drinking window, and it's going to evolve for 50+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com

99 Points! A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2020 Haut-Bailly is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a bit of swirling to coax out notions of black cherry compote, blackcurrant pastilles, and blackberry preserves, giving way to fragrant wafts of violets, dark chocolate, cardamom, and sassafras, with a touch of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is an exercise in poise, delivering tightly wrapped black fruit, exotic spice and floral layers, with a super-plush texture and seamless acidity, finishing very long with loads of mineral sparks and tons of energy. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

98+ Points! Looking at the Grand Vin, the 2022 Château Haut-Bailly checks in as 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc all raised in 50% new French oak. Its deeper ruby hue is followed by a gorgeously classic Haut-Bailly nose of red and black currants, savory flowers, dried herbs, and chocolate. Reminding me of the 2009 (or maybe a mix of the 2009 and 2010) with its opulent, sexy, yet concentrated style, it still stays flawlessly balanced and light on its feet, with no sensation of weight, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. It needs to be hidden in the back of the cellar for 5-7 years and will keep for 40+ years if well stored. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! The aromas of blueberries, blackberries and sandalwood come through so clearly that they entice you before you taste. In the mouth, it has such an intensity of silky tannins caressing every inch of your palate. Very classy and extremely long, it goes on and on. 56% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 2% cabernet franc. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The 2022 Haut-Bailly was picked between 7 and 27 September and underwent a four-week cuvaison, taking longer to consume the sugar and was matured in 50% new oak. It has a bouquet that compels you just to sit and contemplate. It gradually unfolds with blackberry, raspberry, potpourri and iris flower scents, well-defined, not showy but suave. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. Minerals, black pepper and clove off a gentle grip with an impressive crescendo. It will need a decade in bottle. This Haut-Bailly has a haunting beauty, the kind of wine that will bring people to tears! - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

98 Points! Deep garnet-purple colored, it slowly unfurls in the glass to reveal powerful scents of crème de cassis, blueberry compote, and plum pudding, opening out to hints of star anise, incense, and dried roses. The full-bodied palate is concentrated and seductive with firm yet velvety tannins and wonderful tension, finishing very long and opulent. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

97 Points! A youthfully reticent bouquet of licorice, pencil lead, spices and dark berries prefaces the 2022 Haut-Bailly, a medium to full-bodied, layered and structured wine with a concentrated core of lively fruit framed by youthfully firm tannins. Concluding with a long, energetic and pencil lead-inflected finish, the 2022 has gained in elegance and integration during élevage, yet it will require time to fully mellow and realize its full potential. - Yohan Castaing, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

97 Points! The 2022 Haut-Bailly is one of the most elegant wines I have tasted here in a very long time. Dark red/purplish fruit, lavender, spice, rose petal and blood orange are all finely laced together in the glass. There's a new sense of polish at Haut Bailly these days. The 2022 is a great example of that. Readers will find a supremely finessed wine with striking fruit purity, gorgeous length and a slightly linear build that is not at all typical (in a good sense) for a warm, dry vintage. Clean mineral notes support the finish. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

96 Points! Fragranced nose, purple fruits, blackcurrants, juniper, liquorice, crushed stones, salt, violets, roses, dark chocolate and cherries - perfumed, alive and expressive. Smooth, but generous with crunchy fruit and salty touches that come in and coat the super fine tannins with a powdery sensation that really fills the mouth. Nice terroir aspects, smooth, well textured and elegantly weighted. Gives dark fruit, subtle savoury tones with dark chocolate and herbal aspects giving nuance. Excellent length and freshness, it's graceful but almost a bit light in terms of fruit density and plushness - although the tannins are exceptional, really so sleek and silky with definition and detail. Feels well worked, gentle, confident and shiny. It's missing a touch more excitement and juicy liveliness but it’s extremely finessed and you can't fault the attention to detail of the tannins and the moreish quality they give. Great potential. 3.92pH. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. A yield of 30hl/ha. Consultants Christophe Olivier and Axel Marchal. Harvest 7-27 September. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com

100 Points! I finished my trip through Bordeaux with the 2020 Château Haut-Brion, and it was certainly a fitting cap to the trip. Revealing a deep ruby/plum hue, the 2020 exhibits extraordinary aromatics of ripe black fruits, scorched earth, cold fireplace, and acacia flowers. An absolute blockbuster on the palate, this structured, full-bodied, massively concentrated Pessac builds incrementally, with ultra-fine tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Richer and more concentrated than both the 2018 and 2019 (there are some similarities to 2010), this is a legend in the making. The blend is 42.8% Merlot, 39.7% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all of which will spend 15-18 months in 77% new French oak. Hide bottles for a decade, and it should evolve for 50-75 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! The 2020 Haut-Brion is more aromatically demonstrative than La Mission Haut-Brion, bursting with aromas of blackberries and raspberries mingled with licorice, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and nicely integrated new oak. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's rich and layered, with an enveloping core of fruit that's girdled by plenty of sweet, powdery tannin. Despite checking in at a similarly lofty alcoholic degree to the 2019, its more granular tannic profile tempers the vintage's sweetness of fruit and lends the wine a more classically proportioned, and more classically structured, profile. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

100 Points! The black cassis comes out of the glass, together with iodine, sandalwood and subtle moss and wet-bark undertones, then turning to violets. The palate is mind-blowing, with a cashmere texture that unravels on the palate and continues on for minutes. It’s full of superbly complex, ethereal character and mouth-feel, One of the wines of the vintage. As glorious as it may be to taste now, this is one for your deep cellar. Try in 2029. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com

98–99 Points – James Suckling
"A really refined Haut-Bailly with blackcurrants, violets, graphite and crushed stones. Medium- to full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that spread beautifully across the palate. Elegant, precise and exceptionally long. A brilliant expression of the vintage."

97–99 Points – Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
"Flowers, black currants, tobacco leaf, cedar, graphite, and crushed rocks create a stunning aromatic profile. The wine is fresh, vibrant, and remarkably pure, with layers of ripe fruit, silky tannins, and exceptional precision. The finish lingers with floral notes, cassis, and mineral complexity. This is one of the finest vintages ever produced at Haut-Bailly and a candidate for Wine of the Vintage."

98 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
"One of the most elegant wines of the vintage, delivering floral aromatics, graphite, cassis, and remarkable freshness. The balance between concentration and finesse is exceptional, with tremendous ageing potential."

98 Points – Decanter
"Perfumed and beautifully detailed with layers of black fruit, violets, cedar and crushed stone. Silky tannins and vibrant acidity provide remarkable energy and precision throughout. A standout Pessac-Léognan."

96–98 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
"Checking in as a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2025 Château Haut-Bailly is a sensational Haut-Bailly all about finesse and elegance. Ripe black cherries, currants, smoky tobacco, violets, spice, and flowers all define the bouquet, and on the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, graceful mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a very long, elegant finish. It's not a blockbuster, but it's exactly what this terroir yields with its complex, nuanced, layered, graceful style. You should buy this."

96–98 Points – Neal Martin, Vinous
"The 2025 Haut-Bailly is wonderfully expressive, revealing cassis, blackberry, graphite, cedar and floral aromas. The palate is poised and refined with exceptional balance, beautifully integrated tannins, and impressive persistence."

96–98 Points – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Independent
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Haut-Bailly bursts with bold notes of crushed black currants, wild blueberries, and strawberry preserves, giving way to a core of lilacs, licorice, espresso, and Sichuan pepper, with a touch of garrigue. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound with black and blue fruit layers, framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and great tension, finishing long with red berry and floral sparks. Superb!"

95–97 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The 2025 Haut-Bailly is all class. Silky, polished and exceptionally refined, it offers layers of dark fruit, lavender, graphite, tobacco leaf and crushed rocks. The balance and energy here are simply outstanding."